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Immigration Exhibit in Iowa

By Leslie Wayne December 30, 2007 1:28 pmDecember 30, 2007 1:28 pm

DES MOINES — Immigration is a hot button issue at the Iowa caucuses and an exhibit at the Des Moines Art Center, the city’s elegant Richard Meier-designed museum, provides plenty of political satire for thought. Entitled “Borderlandia,” the 70-piece exhibit explores the cultural and political divisions between Mexico and the United States – with a healthy dose of criticism of the current anti-immigration movement.

One work depicts former California Governor Pete Wilson, known for his harsh anti-immigration views, being consumed by Aztecs. In other works, Mickey Mouse is turned into a threatening symbol of United States imperialism and Christopher Columbus is seen as landing in the Americas in gunboats.

The exhibit, by Mexican-born artist Enrique Chagoya, who now lives in San Francisco, would provide plenty of ammunition for anti-immigration activists – all signs are in Spanish and English, George W. Bush is held up for ridicule in art pieces in which he morphs into Richard Nixon and a satirical Superman bursts out of Pilgrim garb.

On a cold Saturday, just a few days before the caucuses, the exhibit was filled with curious patrons. And, even though a controversial anti-illegal immigration group – Federation for American Immigration Reform Congressional Task Force – just ended a two-day event here in which 20 talk radio hosts held forth, there’s been nary a word of protest over the provocative exhibit.

In its own way, the exhibit turns some of the current immigration debate on its head. One of the interpretive signs says that: “Chagoya points out that the Pilgrims were actually some of the first illegal aliens, who invaded and ultimately seized the land from the Native Americans.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, the presidential candidates currently criss-crossing the state haven’t made it a campaign stop.

This immigration issue could prove to be the deciding factor in the 2008 electoral college count. The SW and West have a real problem with immigration. It could be bad for democrats out there. The red states will probably stay red. Some of the purple states in the MW might turn red if this issue gets hyped. The economy is expected to take a down turn next year. Don’t think the Iraq war will be the big issue.

It might be inconvenient for Chagoya racist “art” but it was his ancestors, the Spanish who invaded (approx 700 years ago) what is now called “Latin America” and committed genocide against the indigenous peoples of those lands, and those that remained were used as slaves. His ancestors, the Spanish who started the cross Atlantic slave trade. His ancestors, the Spanish who bled “Latin America” dry of resources, and peopled it with those who have turned a blind eye to the corruption of the governments there. No one ever seems to ask why “activists” like Chagoya never seek to take on the corruption of those governments south of the border? Perhaps he prefers corrupt and greedy governments, and wouldn’t mind imposing that status quo in the US?

As a true Native American, I find such racist, exploitative and despotic propaganda truly offensive.

He’s not an Aztec, nor is he Native American, though he’s using the imagery exploitively.. but then again, it’s the history of those like him to steal and exploit the indigenous for personalgain.l

With all the hard line talk against immigration, no one is talking about the REAL issue. The cost to deal with illegal immigrants would be in the billions.The human resources needed exceeds our current levels of law and legal enforcement. So where is the money coming from in this period of overwhelming deficits.

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